Steam iron



y 1956 P. J. MORE ET AL 2,744,343

STEAM IRON Filed Jan. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1956 P. J. MORE ETAL STEAM IRON Filed Jan. 15. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 water.

STEAM'IRON:

Philip J. More, Evanston, and John B. McCord, Chicago,

111;, assignors to Birtman Electric Company, a corporation of lllinois- This invention relates to a steam iron including a water reservoir, a; steam generator, a valve. between the, reservoir and generator and a handle. including a hollow front post. The invention particularly pertains to. apparatus for filling; the reservoir insuch. an iron with; water.

One of the principal types. of steam irons. is known as the flash type in which water is. contained within a reservoir and then is released through a controllable valve. intoa steam generator which is ordinarily located in the soleplate of the iron adjacent to the toe thereofi where it can receive a maximum amountv of heat from the electric heating; element located. in the soleplate.

.One of theprincipal problems in such a steam ironis-the provision of means for filling the; reservoir with it. is necessary that water. be permitted. to flow into the reservoir at a sufficiently rapid rate and it is also necessary that they reservoir be ventedto: relieve internal pressure and that means be provided to prevent the water splashing out, the reservoir while the iron is inv use.

The inventions described and claimed herein successfully solve these and other problems by Providing an improved fill tube construction. The invention will be described as related tothe embodiment shown in the. accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a steam iron embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the iron;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of; the till tube member prior to its assembly with the remainder of the iron;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the tube of Figure 4.

The steam iron'shown in the. accompanying drawings comprises a soleplatehaving a tubular heating element 11 embedded therein and containing a steam generator including a steam generating chamber 12 located within the soleplate. The steam generatmg portion and steam distributing portion of the iron are of the usual type wherein water is converted to steam in one portion of the soleplate and ejected through passages in the bottom surface of the soleplate onto the material being ironed. Such steam generator and conduit systems are common to steam irons of this type and are well known to those skilled in the art.

Positioned on the top of the soleplate 10 is a closure plate 13 which operates as a closure for the steam generating chamber 12. Located above this plate 13 is a water reservoir 14 that is enclosed Within a sheet metal hood 15. On top of this hood is positioned a handle 16 provided with a hollow front post 16a and a rear post 16!). The bottom portion 160 of the handle contains a control knob 17 for regulating the temperature of the iron. This bottom portion is connected by a plurality of screws 18 to the top of the hood 15.

Attached to the front upper portion of the reservoir A United States Patent 0 valve 20,, which is mounted on the stamping 21 and on extending, through this opening 13a.

2 14 and extending upwardlygenerally into the hollow frontpost 16ais an apparatus including a fill tube 19. This fill tube is provided with a bottom flange 19a rolled overas. shown in Figure 1 to grasp tightly the marginal edge of an opening in the upper front portion of the reservoir. The fill tube is provided with a front wall 19b and a rear wall 190 spaced from each other to. define a filling passage 194. Boththe front and; rear walls are curved. so. that the fillingpassage 19dfis arcuately curved. as shown in Figures 2 and 5-. l

The front Wall: 19b of the tube is considerably shorter than; the rear wall 190 so: as to provide a filling opening 19s. This filling opening is essentially rectangular and curved. its bottom edge is defined bythe topedge of the front wall 1% and its side edges areessentially parallel to each other. The top edge of this filling opening, is defined by the bottom surface of a forwardlyprojecting ledge 19 with this bottom surface being sloped inwardly and downwardly as shown in Figure 1. As can be seen in. Figure 5, the opening 197:: is of less width than the filling passage 19d so that the sides of the passage extend beyond the corresponding sides of the opening 1%.

I In order tov control the flow of water between the reservoir 14 and the steam chamber 12 there is provided a valve 2b. This. valve. has an internal passage. 2th.- and a conical valve seat- 20b. This conical valve seat; is atthe bottom of a relatively large passage Zhc'which communicates with side passages 20dsothat water from the reservoir is led through these passages 20dinto the passage 20c and thus past the valve seat into the relatively small passage 20a from which the water flows into the chamber 12. The valve 20 is mounted on an inverted, essentially dish-shaped sheet metal stamping 21. This stamping is mounted on the closure plate is so as to extend across an opening 13a therein. The

the bottom surface of the reservoir 14 has its bottom Theedge of the stamping 21, which is essentially planar, is held on the plate 134: by a rolled edge part 13b.

The. operating stem for the valve is in the form of a rotatable rod 22 having a conical lowerand adapted to. seat on the conical valve. seat 2012. The rod 22 extends upwardly into the hollow front post 1611 of the handle; and is located rearwardly of the rear wall 19c of the fill tube 19,.

In order to hold the rod 22 for rotation in controlling the flow of water through the valve into the steam chamber, the upper end of the till tube 19- is provided with a generally rearwardly-extending bracket 23. This bracket is mounted on the upper end of the fill tube and is pro vided with an internally threaded opening 26a rotatably supporting a threaded member 24' to which the rotatable rod 22 is secured. The upper end 22a of this rod 22 beyond the threaded member 24 is serrated longitudinally andslidably engagesv a similarly serrated opening extending through a rotatable disc 25' housed within a slot 16d in the upper front part of the handle 16. The disc 25 extends beyond the slot on the front and sides so as to be readily grasped by the hand for rotation of the disc. Rotation of the disc 25 rotates the rod 22 and threaded member 24 and causes this assembly to be moved upsecond bracket 26 as shown most clearlyv in Figure 1. The gasket 27 which makes a sliding contact with the rod 22 serves to bar the entrance of water from the reservoir 14 into the hollow front post 16a of the handle 16.

Located Within the reservoir 14 rearwardly of the valve 20 and rod 22 is a transverse bafile 29. This baifie may be fastened in place by any means desired such as rivets 30 and is provided with elongated slots 29a remaining after portions 2% are struck from the bafile 29. This bafile 29 is intended to prevent extreme surges of water in the reservoir while the iron is being used. As can be seen from the above description of the invention and as is shown in the drawings, the fill tube and associated structure of this invention provides an apparatus that permits rapid and easy filling of the reservoir when the iron is upended on its heel 31. Furthermore, although the filling passage 19:! is relatively thin, as shown in Figure 1, the passage is sufiiciently wide so that a large volume of water can be poured into the reservoir. Furthermore, the passage is preferably curved so that water poured through the upended opening 19c will strike the curved rear wall 190 and flow against the sides of the passage 19d into the reservoir 14. This construction not only provides rapid flow of water, but also aids in preventing outward splashing of water while it is being poured.

Another very important advantage of the construction described and claimed herein is that the water-filled passage is kept separate from the portion of the iron housing the upper part of the valve operating mechanism. As is pointed out above, the gasket 27 prevents water entering the upper portion of the front post. Furthermore, in the preferred construction the apparatus, including the till tube 19 and brackets 23 and 26, is made of integral one-piece construction. Thus, these parts may be made as a onepiece aluminum die casting. This one-piece construction not only reduces the cost of the iron but also permits installing this piece as a unit.

As was pointed out previously, the bottom surface of the forwardly-projecting ledge 19 being inwardly and downwardly sloped, aids in directing water into the passage 19d. Furthermore, the upper surface of this ledge serves to locate the front portion of the handle 16 relative to the fill tube 19. As is shown in Figure 2, the front portion of the fill tube blends smoothly with the adjacent sides of the front handle post 160. This is accomplished by having the sides 19e of the fill tube arranged essentially radially so as to abut the adjacent side portions of the handle. This serves to present a pleasing appearance and also strengthens the assembly of fill tube and front handle post. The rear wall 19c of the fill tube extends a considerable distance rearwardly of the sides 19g as is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details A of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. In a steam iron including a water reservoir, a steam generator, 21 valve between the reservoir and generator and a handle including a hollow front post, apparatus comprising: a fill tube extending upwardly of the reser voir into the hollow post and having an opening for filling the reservoir with water, said fill tube having an area adjacent to the opening of crescent-shaped hollow crosssection with the ends of the crescent located on opposite sides of and rearwardly of said opening; and valve operating means within said hollow post substantially entirely exteriorly of the fill tube.

2. In a steam iron including a water reservoir, a steam generator, a valve between the reservoir and generator and a handle including a hollow front post, apparatus comprising: a fill tube extending upwardly of the reservoir into the hollow post, the tube being located in the forward portion of the post and having a front opening for filling the reservoir with water; valve operating means including a rotatable rod within the hollow post rearwardly of the fill tube; a bracket on the upper end of the fill tube rotatably supporting said valve operating means; a second bracket on the fill tube beneath the first bracket through which said rotatable rod extends; and a gasket held by said second bracket and contacting said rod, said fill tube in the area adjacent to said opening having a crescent-shaped hollow cross-section with the ends of the crescent located on opposite sides of and rearwardly of said opening.

3. In a steam iron including a water reservoir, a steam generator, a valve between the reservoir and generator and a handle including a hollow front post, apparatus comprising: a fill tube extending upwardly of the reservoir and having an opening for filling the reservoir with water, said fill tube having an area adjacent to the opening of crescent-shaped hollow cross-section with the ends of the crescent located on opposite sides of and rearwardly of said opening; and valve operating means for opening and closing said valve.

4. In a steam iron including a water reservoir, a steam generator, a valve between the reservoir and generator and a handle including a hollow front post, apparatus comprising: a fill tube mounted on the top of the reservoir extending upwardly of the reservoir into the forward portion of the hollow post and having a forwardly directed opening for filling the reservoir with water; a bracket mounted on the fill tube extending rearwardly thereof located in the rear portion of the hollow post; and valve operating means supported on said bracket positioned within the rear portion of said hollow post substantially entirely exteriorly of the fill tube, said fill tube in the area adjacent to said opening having a crescent-shaped hollow cross-section with the ends of the crescent located on opposite sides of and rearwardly of said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,593 Riddington et al June 22, 1943 2,384,839 Kistner Sept. 18, 1945 2,501,028 Charland Mar. 21, 1950 2,618,875 Vieceli Nov. 25, 1952 2,668,378 Vance Feb. 9, 1954 

